Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF
Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF
Journal of Film Preservation - FIAF
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Francisco Villa: The Use and Abuse <strong>of</strong><br />
Colonialist Cinema<br />
Francisco “Pancho” Villa, shortly after the taking <strong>of</strong><br />
Ojinaga in 1914. Courtesy <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Film</strong>oteca de la<br />
UNAM, Mexico<br />
Dr. Aurelio de los Reyes<br />
UNAM <strong>Film</strong> Archive<br />
All image is subject to manipulation. This makes it all the more<br />
interesting to study closely the use and abuse <strong>of</strong> the film image <strong>of</strong><br />
Francisco Villa, Pancho Villa, the famous Mexican guerrilla fighter, as<br />
portrayed by the United States during the Mexican Revolution <strong>of</strong><br />
1914-1920.<br />
It is well known that at one point the United States thought <strong>of</strong><br />
converting Villa into the President <strong>of</strong> Mexico, mostly<br />
through the good <strong>of</strong>fices <strong>of</strong> film journalism brought<br />
into use in the United States almost at the same time<br />
as the outbreak <strong>of</strong> the Mexican Revolution in May<br />
19101. It should be noted that between 1911 and<br />
1920 over 80 American cameramen working either<br />
free lance <strong>of</strong> for various film companies covered the<br />
Mexican Revolution from the viewpoints <strong>of</strong> the<br />
different groups. Thus, as <strong>of</strong> March, 1912 the<br />
newscasts Pathe’s Weekly, Animated Weekly and Mutual<br />
Weekly, among others, included weekly bulletins on<br />
the Revolution, not to mention films put on sale by<br />
the companies or by the freelance cameramen<br />
covering the activities in Mexico.<br />
Francisco Villa, <strong>of</strong> all the revolutionary leaders, showed most insight<br />
into how to manipulate film image to his own advantage, provoking<br />
interest both from his followers in Mexico as well as from the US.<br />
Francisco Villa began to attract the attention <strong>of</strong> American journalists<br />
after he took Ciudad Juarez, the most important point <strong>of</strong> entry<br />
between Mexico and the US, at the end <strong>of</strong> 1913. Interest was<br />
awakened by the fact that he took the town with an army <strong>of</strong> 10,000<br />
volunteers – not too badly armed or trained – hastily put together in<br />
just a few months. In March <strong>of</strong> that year his army had amounted to<br />
less than 100 poorly armed, ragged men. The force <strong>of</strong> his personality<br />
worked the miracle. The journalists, impressed by his innate talent<br />
for leadership, dubbed him the Mexican Napoleon, as well as the<br />
Mexican Robin Hood because <strong>of</strong> his reputation as a generous bandit.<br />
They were also impressed by his administrative capabilities. As State<br />
Governor, putting into action his “socialist” ideas, in a short time he<br />
achieved a better distribution <strong>of</strong> income. Numerous journalists and<br />
cameramen congregated in Cd. Juarez at the end <strong>of</strong> 1913.<br />
According to the historian Friedrich Katz, “Villa (…) was regarded<br />
with genuine sympathy by the administration <strong>of</strong> (Woodrow) Wilson,<br />
by a section <strong>of</strong> the armed forces, by the public in general and, finally,<br />
36 <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Film</strong> <strong>Preservation</strong> / 63 / 2001